Blood from Stone [AU]

[Vigile]

Vigile is not okay with carrier. He is not okay with being in a box. Again. But for Liz and Cindy, he will... tolerate it. Briefly. As long as it's unlocked. When he hears one of his people burst into tears, his ears flatten and he bats the door open so he can curl around her ankles protectively, comfortingly.

[Smith Family]

"Oh Cindy, come here." Jaina reaches out to embrace the younger woman, pulling her close. "Oh Cindy." Further into the house, there's the sound of murmuring, then Cindy sees Joyous Seline- Seli rather, she's be told to use, repeatedly- slip into the living room in a bathrobe. She glances at the pair, then offers a sympathetic smile and discretely moves to gather the luggage. 

[Coquette Blacquin]

"I-- I was-- Please, can I stay? A few days?" she whimpers, clinging tightly to her mother. "An--and Vig, I brought-- he hates the carrier, he--"

[Tethras Clan]

"I see that, he's already let himself out," Seli murmurs softly. "I'll take your things to the guest room, you two have a sit.

[Coquette Blacquin]

"Thank you," she manages, but she can't make words happen again until they're seated, with a mug of tea in her hands, and her mother's arm around her. 

"I... Liz and I... Liz is.... gone," she says, then flinches. "N-not! Not dead. Just... we... we broke up. I..."

[Smith Family]

Seli had been the one to make the tea before quietly continuing to plate up a meal of sliced fruits, buttered bread, sugared chocolates and tiny cakes. There's also a quartet of wine bottles on the counter but Cindy wasn't offered any of that, as well as the remains of a pan of sauced ribs, a bowl of cheesy pasta and clam shells. All of it in take out containers, which is unusual for the Smiths, who very rarely splurge on precooked food. Seli hadn't been gone long to put away Cindy's luggage, a quick glimpse of the red-haired paladin that trains Carver as explanation. "Oh sweetheart. What happened?" Jaina asks gently, dabbing at Cindy's cheeks with a soft cotton cloth.

[Coquette Blacquin]

"I... I realized... I came to realize that I'm not... I'm not doing her as much good as I thought I was," she says, her voice pained, low. "So I... she's staying with her father again, while we work things out."

[Smith Family]

"You tried your best, sweetheart. You shouldn't be so hard on yourself. With what you and that poor girl went through..." Jaian clucks her tongue, lips shaping themselves into a scowl as she thinks of that blasted Danvers place. "Coming home, the both of you, could be just the thing you both need."

[Coquette Blacquin]

"I just... I just love her so much and she...." She shakes her head. "I'm sorry, I'm getting all weepy."

[Tethras Clan]

"I think that's perfectly reasonable." Seli sets the plate of finger foods in front of Cindy, then takes a seat herself. "Crying when you're sad is normal and healthy and being sad when you and a loved one are seperated, for any reason, is also normal and healthy."

[Smith Family]

"Right you are." Jaina squeezes Cindy with one arm, then bobs her head at the plate. "Have some food, it'll help center you a bit. Then we can talk about what happened and maybe help a bit. Seli's a wonder about such things, she is."

[Coquette Blacquin]

Cindy nods, trying to nibble a cookie, though in truth she has no appetite. "You... have guests," she realizes, partway through. "I'm sorry, I'm interrupting, aren't I?"

[Tethras Clan]

Jaina hesitates, just a trifle, but that's enough to let Seli go first. "Not a whit. Just a bit of a girl's night, nothing to worry about. Matter of fact, it'll be nice to have more company, won't it Jai?" Does rather scupper my plans to flirt more with Jai. That's probably among the last things poor Cindy needs right now. Oh well, there'll be more chances.

[Smith Family]

"Cindy, you're always welcome, you know that," Jaina scolds her lightly. "Clearly Seli doesn't mind and I'm sure Lina won't either." Where did she head off to, come to think of it? Oh, probably trying to 'give us some space' or some such. Lina really needs to get over her mindset that she's not capable of being emotionally supportive. 

[Coquette Blacquin]

"...Lina?" wonders Cindy, dabbing at her eyes.